Tennessee Poised for Controversial Execution of Man with Active Defibrillator Today
Tennessee Poised for Controversial Execution of Man with Active Defibrillator Today
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee is proceeding with the execution of Byron Black today, in what experts believe could be the first time a person is put to death with a working implanted defibrillator. Governor Bill Lee declined to grant a reprieve on Monday, clearing the final path for Black’s lethal injection despite significant legal and ethical debates surrounding his unique medical condition.
The U.S. Supreme Court also rejected Black’s final appeals yesterday, cementing the state’s resolve to carry out the sentence. Black’s attorneys and medical ethics experts have voiced concerns that the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator could cause unnecessary pain or prolong the execution, though the state disputes these claims, arguing Black would not feel potential shocks. A trial court judge had initially ordered the device deactivated, but the state Supreme Court intervened on July 31 to overturn that decision.
Black, 69, was convicted in the 1988 shooting deaths of his girlfriend Angela Clay and her two young daughters. His legal team has also unsuccessfully argued for a new hearing based on claims of intellectual disability and incompetence to be executed. This execution marks Tennessee’s second since May, following a five-year pause.
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